Just Another Day
by Fiata
Summary: How to distinguish between imagination and reality? The Sanzo team get themselves into a bigger problem then they realize... Chp 4 and 5 now up!
1. Chapter 1

**_Saiyuki_ is not now, nor ever will be, mine. Chao.**

It's not fair.

It's not fair.

_It's not fair._

Sanzo was seething inside, and the pressure was building. Whoever had said life wasn't fair could stick it up his _bleep-blip-bleeeeep._ The entire length of his arms had gone numb long ago, but his hands and wrists still felt like they were being shredded.

And shredded.

And shredded.

Now let's add some salt and vinegar to the mix… yessssss, much better. Now you can add burning to the wonderful list of sensations.

Dammit, what the hell was dripping on him? The priest pulled his head back, only to have the concoction drip into his eyes. He yanked his head forward and squeezed his eyes shut, he even tried jerking his head around for a bit, but the burning remained.

Dammit, dammit, _dammit._

His eyes started to water, and tears gradually dripped down his cheeks, but his eyes continued to scream. The mysterious substance still dripped on and around him, its plops echoing in the cold stone room. An overwhelming urge to hit something consumed Sanzo, and so he threw his body forward and gave a mighty kick, only to be wrenched back and, _oh_ _shit._

Sanzo gave a silent scream as waves of agony wracked over his slender form. Apparently he had more injuries than he thought. Then again, he wasn't awake throughout the entire visit with his captors. Lovely.

Drip

Sanzo flinched.

Drip.

He gritted his teeth.

Drip

He grinded his teeth.

Drip

Pressure levels rising.

Drip

…

Drip

…

Drip

…

"DAMMIT!"


	2. Chapter 2

**Just Another Day- Chapter 1**

_The day before… _

"Sanzo, I'm hungry!"

"Wah wah goes the baby monkey."

"Shut up you stupid water sprite!"

"Why don't you make me, you pre-adolescent mammal!"

"Pervert!"

"Fuzzball!"

"Cockroach!"

"Idiot!"

"SHUT UP!!!"

I relaxed back into my sea as the two simpletons in the back cowered together… for the time being anyways. Che. Fools.

I could feel Hakkai glance at me, and knew that he was smiling; I could feel my fingers twitch towards my gun in response. Somehow I restrained myself. Mercy? No, he was the only quiet one with us. Of course, I could always shoot the morons, then it would be _really_ quiet.

_Tempting?_

_Oh yes._

"Sanzo!"

_Very._

"_Sanzo!_"

_Maybe throw them in a pit with fire ants?_

"Saaaa-ahn-zooo!"

_Butt-naked?_

"Sanzoooooooooooooooo!"

_Staked to the ground perhaps?_

"Sanzo Sanzo Sanzo!"

_K, think happy thoughts._

"Sannnzooo…"

_Gojyo old and wrinkled._

"Saaaaaaaanzo!"

_Goku without a mouth or stomach._

"S-A-N-Z-O!"

"Sanzo, I believe Goku would like to speak with you."

_And Hakkai thrown down a cliff shrieking._

…

_Oooooo, that almost worked._

"SANZO!"

_Nevermind._

"SA…. OWWWWWW! OWEE OWEE OWWWWWWW!"

_Aw, heck no._

"SANZO THAT HURT!!"

_Really? I kinda hoped it would._

"OW! What the hell was that for, you freaking priest?"

"For not restraining the animal, you idiot zookeeper."

"Why you…" The vehicle rocked as Gojyo leaped up to shout at me, and I pulled my gun out to help our exchange. Hakkai continued to smile, in a strained sort of way, and Goku pulled himself into a corner to avoid the worst. Typical.

Then the world exploded.

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_Darkness. Complete darkness._

"…o!"

_It hurts so much…_

"G…o!"

_Where am I?_

_Wait. Oh yah, there was an explosion…_

"Goj…o!"

_Hakkai?_

_Is that you?_

"Go…yo, are … alright?"

_I can't move._

_It hurts so much._

_Just let me sleep…_

"GOJYO!"

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"I hate you."

Hakkai smiled at me. The bastard. "Would you rather be dead or in a coma right now?"

"No…" Dammit, that sounded like a whine. "But you didn't have to ti…"

"What was that?"

"You know what I said." Twitch.

"I'm sorry Gojyo, but I have no idea where you're going with this." I could feel his smile getting wider… and my twitch getting stronger.

I gritted my teeth

"Gojyo?"

Damn him.

"Gojyo?"

Is he taking lessons from the monkey or what?

"Goooojyo."

"You know how ticklish my feet are, dammit!!" I pulled myself back down as a searing pain ripped through my side. Shit.

Hakkai moved in to make sure nothing had reopened, and I glanced over his own tears, burns and bruises. I almost laughed at how pathetic we looked, but could only manage a fake grin. How pathetic.

We have absolutely no idea where we are, and Sanzo and the chimp are missing. Not that I have any doubts about their skills mind you, but Sanzo… has a very unique way for attracting dangerous situations. And from the slight steeliness in Hakkai's wilting smile, he knows it too. Damn monkey… Damn monk… Damn explosion…

Not only was my side in bad shape, but so was Hakkai's leg.

A sudden growl erupted from my throat; when I get my hands on this troublemaker, he'd wish he had the choice of being burned alive when he sees what I'll do to him.

"Five miles…"

"Hakkai?" His green eyes stared into the fire, and when he finally looked at me, I couldn't help but shiver. Anger seen in Hakkai's eyes turned your insides to ice.

"I awoke almost five miles east from where we all were originally. You were almost seven miles southwest." Huh?

"Yeah, what's your point?" I tried to sound as careless as possible, but he sounded so serious, I wondered if he heard my voice waver. With my luck…

"I'm willing to bet one of the others is located somewhere northwest of the explosion."

Wait…

"A triangle? But why?"

"To keep us as far apart as possible for the time being." I blinked.

"What about piggy number four?"

Hakkai sighed heavily and leaned forward. He looked so tired.

"To play with while we're distracted maybe? I don't know, Sanzo is always better at this guessing game than I am. I just have this horrible feeling…"

For a moment, I could only stare at him. Then I stood up slowly, feeling my muscles readjust.

"Then let's go."

"Kyu!" Hakuryu poke his head out from beneath Hakkai's sash. The little devil, I was wondering where he was!

"Yes." Hakkai was smiling again. "Nothing has stopped us before, so why let it now? Forgive me Gojyo, I was remiss." I scratched my head in embarrassment and turned away. Stupid sentimental crap… but then again, aren't we always?

I grabbed a cigarette and lit it, staring at the forest ahead of us as the smoke was carried off in the wind.

We said nothing as I supported Hakkai, and we trudged onward.

To find… who knows?

But heaven protect whoever got in our way.

We may be sentimental, but we sure as hell aren't pushovers.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry for the super ooper long wait guys, life beckons, and it is not easily silenced. I'll try to be more diligent in the future, but for now, thank you all who reviewed, it means the world to me!**

"_Stupid monkey."_

That's what he called me. It's what he always called me. To use my name was an event saved for rare occasions. To hear it meant that all was right in the world. He… Sanzo.

My pants are stiff with blood, mine of course. Something in the explosion had ripped into my hip and it hurt like hell.

"HAKKAI!"

The breeze rustled in the trees around me.

"GOJYO!"

The leaves slowly settled into silence.

"…Sanzo…"

Nothing.

"Sanzo."

_Where are you?_

"SANZO!"

There wasn't even an echo to follow, and the air swallowed into stillness and quiet around me. I had been wandering for hours and the sun was settling into dusk. This wasn't new, this separation and momentary physical pain. Normally my stomach would drive me into frenzy till

I found the others, but now… something was wrong.

I can't sense him.

No, we don't have a telepathic bond or anything, but you can _feel_ Sanzo. He has this presence, and I can always recognize it, even stronger than Hakkai's or Gojyo's. Even when we're far away from each other, there's still this sense of him. And right now it's gone.

"Dammit…" Ugh, I can't even see straight anymore. I'm so tired…

Ffffffft!

What the… A crossbow shaft?!

I gripped my nyoibo and took a fighting stance but no one was to be seen.

"Come on, come and try me, I dare ya!" Nothing danggit. "Wuss!"

That did it. A group of about 20 youkai stepped from the trees with various weapons, and all of them looked really confident. Dummies, I don't have time for this! I step forward raise my nyoibo… only to be whacked from behind. A youkai stood behind me with a stave. Man, either I'm more exhausted than I thought, or this guy is weak! Weak or not, he and 3 others attack me at once and soon I'm surrounded by the whole group. A mace slams my jaw and I skid to my knees, spots clouding my vision. I raise my nyoibo to ward off a sword and then extend its length through about seven of the mob. The others back off for a moment, only to be cut in two by a familiar weapon, Gojyo's jakujou.

"Geez Goku, getting weak in your ape-ish ways?"

Even the mocking in his words belied the shaded concern in his eyes as he stood by me. Hakkai was several feet away, obliterating the rest. Concern for them and their injuries was far from my mind at the moment due to a greater problem.

Sanzo was no where to be seen.

_ chao!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Drip. _

_Drip. _

_Drip._

The candle flickered tauntingly on the lone figure hanging in the corner. His once golden hair was streaked with a black liquid which had slithered down his face and torso, all the way to his feet. It puddled on the floor. A myriad of whip marks coated his back and shoulders, burns smeared his arms, and the rest of his body was splotched black and blue. Sanzo continued his icy stare down the shadowed corridor, right past his unseen visitor.

_Drip. _

His eyelids flickered, the normally violet gaze graying. Everything appeared disfocused and swam out of concentration. Sanzo couldn't see the man only feet away. Sanzo couldn't even focus on the candle. He simply struggled to concentrate on the shapes shifting in the darkness.

_Drip._

Gojyo. Hakkai. Goku. They danced before him in and out of the shadows, taunting.

_Drip. _

Someone was humming. Sanzo gritted his teeth, twisting his arms in irritation, disregarding the momentary pain as he struggled to focus. The figure stepped closer.

_Drip._

Sanzo's mind swirled in an internal struggle. Something was wrong, something was changing, but he didn't care. He needed to focus on... who were they again? The ones barely in his sights who refused to come a hairsbreath closer; Sanzo gritted out profane phrases as his senses continued to weaken.

_Drip._

The vile liquid, once warm, all at once turned ice cold. It clawed at him. A man stood at Sanzo's side and watched him, only inches away, smiling.

_Drip._

The priest's eyes rolled back as the cold seeped into his blood, freezing his insides. It blackened his vision, smothered his hearing, flooded his throat; Sanzo's whole body convulsed as he descended into a complete frenzy.

_Drip._

The captor kissed the icy cheek as Sanzo rapidly fell into a state of madness.

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"**SAAANZOOOO**!!"

"Sanzo."

"**SANZOOOOOOOOOOOOOO**!!"

"Sanzo...O...o."

"**SANZO**!!"

"San... GYAAAH, YOU # APE! What the HELL was that for ?!"

"You're not even TRYING!"

"I'm blowing my fricking vocal chords searching for that damn priest, what more do you want?! You actually believe he'll come prancing out of the forest with a basket of daisies because we're shrieking his name?!" Crack.

Gojyo landed on his bum from the force of Goku's blow, and was up in a split second launching himself up... and back down again as Hakkai slammed the two of them together. He rubbed his forehead wearly as he regarded the two. "We're getting nowhere like this."

"No. Shit. OWW!"

The monocled man surveyed their position as Gojyo gingerly tested his new lump.

"What's going ON Hakkai, it's like we're going in circles!" Goku slid down in annoyance, glaring at the trees holding them seemingly captive. Gojyo glared back at him."Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if we didn't have to chase after you this whole time!"

Hakkai sighed for the umpteenth time that day. He had spent yesterday treating the groups wounds but was now regretting it as the two juveniles had had enough energy to irritate each other. The healer looked around again in frustration; he was still exhausted and had little patience for the two. But Goku was right. They were lost. Hakuryu was even unable to reach the top of the trees.

"Where can he be?" Goku's voice was small and it disheartened Gojyo even more. Everything about this situation was rubbing them all the wrong way. Hakkai was supposed to be smiling. Goku needed to be whining about being hungry. He was supposed to...

_Che_. No wonder he was irritated. Gojyo needed a smoke. Badly. The playboy went to light his cancerstick when it burst into flames. His startled yelp alerted the two, but no one was ready for when a fourth figure appeared out of the forest. The newcomer's gaze was intense and unflinching. A gaze that was very familiar to them. And it came from someone they knew very well.


	5. Chapter 5

"Kougaiji!" Goku's exclamation registered both surprise and relief at the sight of the new arrival, who just happened to appear... flabbergasted. He closed his eyes, bit back a groan and visibly attempted to gather himself. "How..."

"Eh?" Goku cocked his head in curiosity. Kougaiji's forehead gathered in irritation, and Hakkai and Gojyo prepared themselves for the blow.

"How the HELL do you keep getting under my feet?!" he growled. "Each and every &ing time!!"

Goku glared back. "Hey, it's not OUR fault you guys keep..." "Goku." Hakkai neatly stopped the two's tirade. "May I ask what exactly we're interrupting?" After a tense moment between the spellcasters, the prince sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily.

"A cleanup operation." He looked off into the trees. "I need to get rid of the madman that even the mad refuse to handle. He's proven... dangerous for even us." Goku's eyes widened. "Who?"

"Limton"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It was that same bloody tune again being hummed by the same exasperating voice. Sanzo ground his teeth together as his throbbing head woke him up.

Wait.

The headache... was the only thing that hurt. Sanzo's eyes popped open to utter blackness. Fragments of his ordeal went through his mind- very small fragments that he couldn't piece together. Something was wrong, something had changed... but what?

_What the fuck..._

Something was very off, very _wrong. _

And what was worse... Sanzo yanked at his chains and twisted his body struggling to get his bearings as a light chuckle echoed.

_Fuck. Fuck. Fuck._

He was most definitely wasn't alone.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gojyo snickered. "Limton? You guys are frightened of a guy named _Limton_?" Kougaiji's frown deepened as the chuckle turned into an all out guffaw. It was Goku's turn to laugh as a snort leaked out, and Gojyo's face matched his hair as he went to tackle his companion.

"Oh dear," Hakkai sighed with his careful smile in place. "This is getting us nowhere." He and Kougaiji watched the ruckus quietly, waiting patiently until they realized no gun was going off. The water sprite and monkey realized it as well, and the heaviness returned.

"Where's the priest?" Kougaiji felt his insides reel as he stared at the silent group. Gojyo answered stiffly. "There was an explosion and we were seperated. We..." his hands tightened. "...can't find him."

The demon prince's voice rang in the stillness.

"_Shit._"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I wouldn't do that if I was you." His captor's voice was high, feminine and highly irritating. "You may not be able to feel them, but your wounds are still very there." Another giggle.

"Who are you and what do you want?"

"YoooooooooooouuuUUUUuuuuuu... teeheheeheee!"

...

_What the..._

"Komini my love, will you please help meeee?" "Yes sir." The new voice was deep and monotone. The light flickered back to life and Sanzo stared at the pair for the first time.

Two men. One was tall with brown hair and eyes, and the short one, who was smiling inanely at him, had blue hair and grey eyes.

While his smile was bizarre his eyes... were hard. They sent a chill down Sanzo's spine. Then the man blinked and the eyes lost their maddening focus as he started humming again. He danced his way to his captive's side and, before he could react, planted a wet kiss on Sanzo's cheek. He froze in shock for a moment, and then made a mad attempt to break _something_ in the freaks body. However, the nimble man twirled to safety, still humming, and blew out the candle. The pair left and his singing slowly faded away into the distance. Sanzo snarled in frustration when out of the blackness... he heard it.

_Drip_

_Sanzo flinched._

_Drip._

Gritted his teeth.

_Drip_

Grinded his teeth.

_Drip_

Pressure levels rising.

_Drip_

_Drip_

Someone. Kill. Me.** Now.**

_Drip_

**& # blippity& bleeeeeep & blip blip&# bleeeeeeeep #!!**


End file.
